Abstract
Polylactide (PLA)/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/bark flour of plane tree (PF) eco-composites were prepared via melt blending. The morphologies, mechanical properties, crystal structures and melting and crystallization behaviors of the eco-composites were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical tests, polarized light microscopy (PLM), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. It is shown that the interfacial adhesion between PLA matrix and PF is weak and the mechanical properties of PLA/PF eco-composites are poor. The titanate treatment improves the adhesion between the matrix and the filler and enhances the stiffness of the eco-composites. The toughness is improved by PBAT and ductile fractured surfaces can be found. The spherulitic size of PLA is decreased by the addition of PF. The α crystalline form of PLA remains in the composites. Compared with PF, T-PF (PF treated by a titanate coupling agent) and PBAT have negative effects on the crystallization of PLA.
Highlights
In recent years, there are increasing concerns of global environmental problems and sustainable development
As one of the representative environmentally benign polymers, polylactide (PLA) is considered a replacement of some traditional petroleum-based polymers because it is produced from plant derived resources and has suitable properties [1,2]
The toughness can be improved by plasticizers [3,4] and polymers (e.g., poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PBAT) [3,5,6]
Summary
There are increasing concerns of global environmental problems and sustainable development. As one of the representative environmentally benign polymers, polylactide (PLA) is considered a replacement of some traditional petroleum-based polymers because it is produced from plant derived resources and has suitable properties [1,2]. It has been successfully used in packaging, biomedical, film and fiber applications. Some inherent defects such as the low toughness, slow crystallization rate and relatively high cost have limited the application of PLA in some fields. The crystallinity and crystallization rate can be accelerated by nucleating agents (e.g., dilithium hexahydrophthalate) [7,8,9]. The cost can be lowered by addition of fillers (e.g., starch) [4,6,10,11]
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